


Envy

by MidknightMasquerade



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied Relationships, Jealousy, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6918298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidknightMasquerade/pseuds/MidknightMasquerade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“Are you envious of Felicia?”</p>
  <p>What a ridiculous question. Such an absurd assumption from some mere stranger, spoken to a lovely lady like her - the nerve! Why, she had half a mind to mend such a misconception that instant. Or rather, she would, if only such accusations were false. “My, Prince Leo, what big eyes you have,” she mocked, her sarcasm as icy as the winter winds that wrapped themselves around the throat of her uninvited visitor. Winds were warnings to those who wound their way too deeply into her privacy. “Your perceptiveness is truly unrivaled, if you are to notice such truth with naught a hint to tell of it. Tell me, whatever gave it away, hmm?” </p>
  <p>“For one, you might want to ease your emotions, lest that staff you’re holding snap in half.”</p>
</blockquote>Envy (n.) - "a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck"
            </blockquote>





	Envy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlphaStarr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaStarr/gifts).



> This particular piece is dedicated to AlphaStarr, as thanks for enlightening me on the glorious rarepair that is Leo/Flora. Though our discussion on the topic was brief, I really appreciated the time you took responding to me comment (read: fangirling over these two with me), and I wanted to repay you for that.

“Are you envious of Felicia?”

What a ridiculous question. Such an absurd assumption from some mere stranger, spoken to a lovely lady like her - the nerve! Why, she had half a mind to mend such a misconception that instant. Or rather, she would, if only such accusations were false. “My, Prince Leo, what big eyes you have,” she mocked, her sarcasm as icy as the winter winds that wrapped themselves around the throat of her uninvited visitor. Winds were warnings to those who wound their way too deeply into her privacy. Still, she wished not to strangle the royalty she served. Not unless, of course, it was undeniably deserved. Perhaps patience was required here, at least for now. “Your perceptiveness is truly unrivaled, if you are to notice such truth with naught a hint to tell of it. Tell me, whatever gave it away, hmm?”

“Dodging the question - smart tactic.” The prince raised a single eyebrow, but neither party dared to rest their eyes on one another. Instead, their gazes stay locked onto the scene set before them. Beyond a bushel of bushes and shrubbery stood Corrin, sweat dripping down the sword drawn in his hand against his retainer and the object of Flora’s resentment, Felicia. Both opponents had run themselves ragged in the midst of their training, yet neither side seemed ready to stop anytime soon. Such was the sign of a dedicated soldier - either that, or the sign of young lovers refusing to leave the other’s presence. The corner’s of Leo’s lips twitched upwards at the sight of the sparring session. “Unfortunately for you, stalking is not looked at so kindly in Nohrian law. You ought defend yourself before I find fault in your logic and report need of a restraining order for my dearest baby brother.”

Curse him. He knew no one could refute the law, especially not some servant girl that lacked basic rights. Not that such a law actually existed, she was sure - in fact, she had checked several times since these little stakeouts turned out to be consistent times scheduled into her daily life - but that did not disqualify the possibility that someone of his status possessed the power to make his every wish a reality. “Stalking? Surely you do not believe Lord Corrin’s retainer to be capable of such a crime.” Still, she knew such a defense only shed light on her guilt. Anyone was capable of anything. This war had taught her that much. Thankfully, this time she had an alibi. “I was simply awaiting orders on standby so as to assist Lord Corrin in his training, just as Jakob and Felicia are playing their parts.”

Leo’s eyes widened curiously at that, his lips parted as if to speak before thinking better of himself. His gaze separated from the combatants, instead assessing his surroundings. It was then that his triumphant smirk returned. “Oh? I see. Tell me then, where is Jakob exactly?”

Were he not her superior, she would have sighed in exasperation. “Lord Leo, surely you must have noticed that we are not the only two observing their training.” Honestly, could he not tell that Jakob was standing right…beside…her. _Oh gods no_. Shining irises radiated fear, widening with every second that her fellow retainer did not reappear in the spot where he previously stood. Her hand, held out in a gesture to her side, showed only an empty space beside her. _Think fast, Flora, think fast_. Where would he have gone and why in the world would he have dismissed himself without a word to her? “O-oh, that’s right, I had almost forgotten. Jakob took off just a bit before you arrived. He thought we might be in need of an additional Mend staff, what with how often Felicia trips over…well, everything. I told him he was being paranoid, but he wouldn’t listen. He should be back any moment now, milord.”

Leo did not look as though he bought her bluff for even a moment, but he did not refute her flustered fibbing. Perhaps she had impressed him, or perhaps such was simply wishful thinking. Whatever the case, he simply crossed his arms with a thoughtful hum and returned his attention to Corrin, who currently was cursing at every god imaginable as he desperately attempted to dodge the endless barrage of shurikens sent at him from his retainer. Silence lingered between them. Flora had almost forgotten the aforementioned inquiry, thanking the gods above that he had relented in his pursuit, before the prince spoke up, his tone light, testing the waters. “If you were - jealous, that is - I wouldn’t blame you.”

“What is there to be jealous of?” The poison poured out of her mouth before she had the opportunity to rein it in. Her words surprised even her lord, causing the fledgling prince to stare at her with something akin to amazement, albeit despite the pleasure such an emotion typically entailed. If nothing else, her response had entertained him. An answer had been provided without her needing to speak another word, had he not already known the answer before he had ever asked. 

“Such is the answer either of one consumed with their own vainglory, or…” He pauses then, predicting the tide this training would turn. As he stopped himself, Felicia fell headfirst into the open arms of her master. As those doe-eyed irises stared up at her lord and savior, Flora fely rage rising to color her chilled cheeks with the hateful heat of a fiery furnace. “…a woman withholding unrequited emotions.”

Silence is his only answer.

“It seems I’ve struck a nerve.” _Or twelve_ , she corrected within the confines of her mind, her lips twisting at words she would not speak. He chuckled then, relishing in the knowledge that she could not - or rather, _would_ not - lash out, not at him, not here, not now. To do so would be to lose her cool, to surrender in this war of wits they had engaged in. “You could make a case for your malice, if you so wished. She might be a blunder of a maid, but she’s quite the formidable force on the battlefield. Envy is not entirely unjustifiable, if only one is envious of one worthy of such an honor.”

Flora contemplated such a possibility, considering the thought. Never before had someone affirmed her fury. Then again, those she had voiced her concerns to had only come to the protection of her darling little sister because of their own affection for her, affection that outweighed their own emotions towards Flora. Felicia always won. Always. “What you say might merit a truthful response,” she admitted, her tongue reluctantly releasing each word as though each syllable desperately wished to return inside her esophagus, “though you are mistaken on one account. My sister is intimidating in battle because of her strength, true. In that regard, never could I touch her. However, she lacks any skill necessary in properly utilizing the natural talent bestowed to her.” She stopped herself, only for the flood of other associated injustices to burst through the dam of her mouth. “Her charisma surpasses my own. Charm comes in many forms, and I suppose her clumsiness appeals to this specific demographic of people. People love her, even when her uniform is wrinkled or she has overslept or she has spilled their tea onto their lap for the twelfth time that week, whereas I must always work myself to the bone to find admiration in anyone’s eyes. People forgive her misgivings, as they should. She is soft and sweet, kind and curious and altogether entirely and undeniably wholesome, despite her quirks and idiosyncrasies. She deserves to be loved.”

Leo listened to her ramblings, refusing to interrupt beyond the occasional hum to show he was still listening. His finger had found its way to his chin, rubbing the stubble that had accumulated there throughout their time separated from the common conveniences of their homeland. The longer she prattled on, the narrower his eyes drew until she felt as though he had forgone actually looking at her so as to focus solely on something altogether intangible. After her speech had reached its conclusion, he chose not to speak so as to allow her a chance to catch her breath, before releasing a long-awaited exhalation. “Your words ring true…” He had paused, considering his next words. She had been about to interject with a resounding approval of his assessment, only to discover that there was more to add. “…but your heart does not.”

Her heart? Now how in the world had he gone from her words to her heart? That could not have been what he had been staring so intently at, was it? Dragon-blooded or otherwise, she was certain that no one could see such a thing without being a deity themselves. “And just what do you mean by that, Prince Leo?” Her language reflected that of an ordinary servant, but the tension of her tongue caused the words to become stale, frozen over with a thinly-veiled loathing. The chill of a sudden breeze caused Corrin and Felicia to shudder, wondering where winter weather was coming from in the midst of the springtime.

“You’re doing it right now,” he remarked without a hint of hatred or aggravation of any kind. “Words paint only twenty percent of what a person actually perceives, while body language portray the other eighty percent of one’s intentions. Certainly you must know this, or at least have noticed how you’re holding yourself in conversation?” The blank stare serving as her response was met with an exasperated sigh. As if speaking entirely factually and not about an actual living, breathing human being, he pointed at various parts of her body as he lectured her on the nuances of his annoyance. “Clearly, someone ought to teach you, lest no one ever believe a word you dare to say. First off, your teeth. You’re gritting them, even now. It wouldn’t kill you to smile at someone you’re trying to convince you don’t wish to smite. Not to mention the tension in your spine revealing how uncomfortable you are speaking of a topic you swear is irrelevant and irrational, or the fact that you have yet to make any type of eye contact with me as to avoid the ability for me to search them for the truth.”

Flora had endured just about enough accusations for one day, that much was for sure. Being sure to brush off any dust from her uniform, straighten her lips, loosen her spine and open her eyes wide with a look more manic than she meant, she inquired, “Well then, how do you suggest that I show how _wonderful_ of a time I am having conversing with you, Lord Leo?”

“For one, you might want to ease your emotions, lest that staff you’re holding snap in half.”

Horror taking hold of her, Flora spared a passing glance to the staff she’d held onto throughout their time together, only to discover stalactites canvasing the hilt with a cold blue tint. Thick ice covered the entirety of the shaft, a result of her uncontrolled emotions. With a gasp, she released the staff only for the clattering of metal on cobblestone to cause Corrin and Felicia to turn away from their training with an expression of worry. Hesitantly, Corrin called out to the two of them, “Flora? Are you alright?”

_Pull yourself together, Flora. He’s staring at you for once instead of her. Don’t make a fool of yourself_. “Q-quite alright, Lord Corrin! I apologize for the distraction. I thought I spotted a centipede on the shaft of my staff.” Remembering the recommendations of her lord, Flora bent down with all the grace in the world so as to throw off any possible suspicions Corrin could have. Reaching for her rod, she bid the ice to recede from its resting place before rising and showing her sister and master a spotless staff.

Although the two were understandably disturbed by such an outburst, especially by one so constantly composed as Flora, they expressed only relief as she stood again. Corrin even laughed, that sanguine symphony Flora savored every opportunity she had to hear it. “Oh, is that all? I’m not used to seeing you so surprised! I guess you are human after all. I was wondering if we’d ever find a flaw with you.”

He had meant it as a compliment, she was certain of that, but his words cut her to the core. Her, inhuman? Had he never thought of her as human beforehand, despite all their years spent together in that prison of a fortress? To think that she had spent her entire life attempting to reach a position incapable of reproach, only to appear perfect to others, but entirely unrelatable. Attempting to control her quivering lip, she returned her attention to the conversation at hand with one who showed unspoken sympathy towards her plight. He understood. “…Lord Leo? Might I ask you something?” He hummed in approval, urging her onwards. “What prompted you to speak to me today? Why pry such painful truth from me? Some say you are a sadist, but I had no such reason to believe it, not until today. Do you delight in seeing me suffer so?”

The accusation pierced him deeper than any sword could, though he controlled the level at which his grief expressed itself to a servant girl. Brushing back his bangs - _was he…crying?_ \- Leo continued, tone acidic and apologetic all at once. “Do you take me one so cruel as to torture one of my one soldiers? I would have thought you knew Nohr's royalty better than that, Flora.” She opened her mouth to apologize, the entirety of her training coming back to her at once and overriding her pride, but he held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t. It is my fault.” He inhaled then, a breath to ready himself for what he was to speak. “I instigated this, though I didn’t mean for it to turn as… _toxic_ as it did. For that, I apologize. I only wished to speak with you once I realized that, despite all of those years visiting the tower, rarely, if ever, did you and I ever have the chance to socialize. Now that we’re working together, so to speak, I thought it only appropriate to find out more about the servant in the shadows.” That term stung, though she knew it to be true. Felicia ever existed in the spotlight, soaking in the attention drawn by shattered plates and spilled refreshments. But Flora? Flora remained in the darkness where she belonged. “…and I suppose that, in some ways, I understood what I saw in you.”

She breaks away from the fighting to stare up at him then, daring to make the eye contact she had avoided this entire time. She searched his irises for emotions, attempting to understand the place from whence this came. In them, all she could see was endless loneliness, a little boy drowning amidst a sea of acquaintances, yet isolated from intimacy with any. “Milord?” Was this man that stood before her, this high and mighty prince, so scared of intimacy that he had pushed all away? Was that what this was about - discovering another so very much like himself?

“You’re a bold one, to interrogate royalty so.” Despite the bite his words would normally present, he had found some odd humor in them, causing her only to question why he had said them at all. It was only then that she realized her blunder - she had spoken her thoughts aloud. “I was only teasing, Flora. My, you really _are_ the high-maintenance maid.” His jest cost him the sympathy he’d won from her, but she did not interfere with his speaking. “I don’t believe I can understand the depths of your emotional torture. No, I’ve never been in love, if that’s what you were wondering. Shocking, I’m sure, considering the countless stories surrounding myself and some random maiden...or that irritable prince from Hoshido.” He shuddered at the thought of that, an action that elicited a chuckle from his companion. “But I understand envy all too well. After all, you are not the only with a sibling who possesses all that they wish they themselves owned.”

Just who was he referring to, she wondered? The most obvious answer would be Xander. Undoubtedly, he had many men envious of someone such as he. The crown prince of Nohr, the heir to the throne and all of the entitlement that came with it. Someone like Leo, too often lingering in his brother’s shadow, could easily seek the fame and fortune he lacked. Then again, perhaps he spoke of Camilla. She bore no true inheritance, but her voluptuous allure and lethal temper made her a force to be reckoned with both in and out of battle. She had many a bed partner, as opposed to the prude prince, as well as a skill set capable of incapacitating an entire army, should they threaten her beloved Corrin. _Corrin_. Yes, that was it. It wasn’t Xander nor Camilla that drew his ire. It was the very one that stood before them both. That was why he had come here in the first place. That was why he knew exactly what Flora felt and thought. There they stood, two spies slinking about in the shadows, observing the objects of their envy dance about in the light with a whimsy unknown to those who dwelt in darkness. They were one and the same, Prince Leo and maid Flora.

“I do not desire your pity.” Such caustic speech drew her from her mental reverie, enough to sputter out a half-comprehensible inquiry as to what her lord referred to. It was then that his expression lightened. Gods, did he always wish to tease her so spitefully? She could scarcely discern sarcasm from casual conversation. “I saw the way your eyes widened when I had indulged my deep, dark secrets to you. I am not a puppy, Flora - I do not need eyes associated with observing them.” They both chuckled at that, the tension having left them as they laughed. “I do not need your pity, however…” His gaze grew distant, unwilling to look her in the eye as a lord should when demanding something of an underling. “…I would wish to speak with someone who understands me. If your wish would be the same, of course.”

Well, that was rather unexpected. Was he being coy with her? She couldn’t bring herself to believe that he was offering anything more than intelligent conversation. If anything, she chalked such a notion up to his inability to offer friendship to anyone. Princes could be such simpletons, tacticians or otherwise. “Prince Leo, are you asking me to be your friend?” She hardly managed to stifle her laughter as he turned from her, affirming her suspicions. “Well, I would reciprocate, but I’d been instructed that a lack of eye contact means that someone is not speaking truthfully.” 

The incredulous stare she received in return for that comment was worth the risk it took to say such a thing to someone in authority. What was she thinking, sassing a prince such as he? She must have lost her mind somewhere along the road of this conversation. Thankfully for her, the shock of that stare soon melted into reluctant appreciation shown through the shaking of blonde locks. “I never thought that I would be taught a lesson by my own student today.” He scoffed at that. “Though I suppose such teasing should be overlooked, if only because it shows that you and I might get along better than I had thought we would.” His smile, then, was genuine. With that, the high prince turned on his heel and headed home, a dismissive wave serving as a farewell. “Enjoy your masochistic training session.”

Well, well. In the span of a single hour, she had managed to be interrogated by royalty, heartbroken by a boy that hardly acknowledged her humanity, and offered the friendship of a prince she very well may have just insulted. So much for the shadows - she found the spotlight to feel just as immersive as she imagined it to be.

“Oy, Flora!” Corrin’s calling brought her back to reality, the bluenette turning rapidly to return her attention to her master. The sparring session having ended, her sister and master now approached her hand-in-hand. She had expected the inevitable pang of pain to grieve her heart as it always did when such affection was freely shown between them, but it never came. Strange. She wondered whether even princes were capable of hexes on the heart. Or perhaps, the ice that froze her heart in place had begun to melt on its own after all this time. “Felicia and I can’t train anymore today. I think I’ve taken enough shurikens to the knee today.” He groaned at that as Felicia’s face flushed with embarrassment. “No need to heal me. I think I’ll just soak in the Hot Springs before returning to my quarters. Thank you for watching over us today, Flora. Your assistance is always appreciated.” He bowed to her, a habit he had yet to shake from his days of etiquette in the fortress. She had taught him that herself. How proud she was to see him offering her the same respect he would show someone of dignity. 

He turned then to go, before mumbling, “ah, right,” and flipping back around to face Felicia. With as much awkwardness as was physically possible, he leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek before thanking her - _honestly, Lord Corrin, you could have been more tactful than to thank a girl for allowing you to kiss her_ \- and retreating to his desired destination. The wolf-whistling of Niles could be heard in the distance as Felicia’s face flooded with a shade that matched her hair.

“Oh, Sis! I’m so sorry!” Felicia leapt towards her, clutching Flora’s hands in her own. Despite the cold-blooded nature of the Ice Tribe, her sibling’s hands felt so warm. She wondered if love always bolstered such an effect on people.

Flora, unfortunately, had no idea what on earth she was talking about. “Sorry? Whatever for?” Her eyes narrowed then, darting down to observe every inch of her uniform. “You didn’t damage your apron again, did you? Honestly, Felicia, I’ve had to visit town three times this month for more sewing supplies! You ought to learn to tend to these tears on your own if you rip your dress every other day.”

“N-no! That’s not what I meant!” Aghast at the accusation, she blurted out her response without actually checking her uniform. A blush of a different kind creeping up her cheeks, Flora’s sibling swept over her outfit with worried eyes. “Phew, everything’s fine.” She breathed a sigh of relief, the joy returning to her expression. “I was apologizing because he…he _kissed_ me.” She spoke as though the two were children on a playground sharing secrets and not two grown women exchanging factual information. The lack of expression on Flora’s face elicited an additional response from Felicia. “W-well, I’ve always known how much you admired Lord Corrin, so I was worried you would be jealous once you found out that he and I were…well, seeing each other.”

This was what had been eating at her sister? How long, she wondered, had Felicia kept this secret from Flora, filled with the fear of her sister’s furious response? How long, she wondered, had Felicia been a woman deserving of the spotlight whom had hidden in the shadow of her spiteful sister? The thought was too much to bear. Clasping her own hands overtop of her sister’s, she attempted to assuage the anxiety her sister unnecessarily wore. “I’m happy for you two - you have my blessing.” She stopped, turning her eyes towards the tower where her own prince resides. She laughed then, an action Felicia had not heard in a long, long while.

“You know what, Felicia? I think I’m going to be just fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! Enjoy your stay in shipping hell, because I will never be able to reconcile the fact that I cannot actually pair these two together in the actual game.


End file.
